Crack down on Proshika

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The government has launched a countrywide crackdown on Proshika, one of the largest non-government organisations (NGO) in the country, ahead of tomorrow’s opposition programme to lay siege to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Meantime, the authorities have banned all sorts of gatherings or demonstrations in areas surrounding the PMO for 24 hours from 00:01am Tuesday.

The crackdown on Proshika staff was allegedly launched in suspicion of the organisation’s preparation to send a large number of people to Dhaka to take part in the 14-party siege programme tomorrow and grand rally on September 18.

The opposition’s programmes are aimed at pressing home its demand for reforms to the election commission and the caretaker government.

According to Proshika sources, law enforcers arrested more than 100 officials of the organisation in different parts of the country between Staurday midnight and yesterday evening. Police also raided many Proshika offices across the country.

Sources said most of the arrestees are area coordinators and staff of Proshika’s different development areas.

Many police officials across the country said the Proshika staff were arrested for their ‘anti-government activities’.

A superintendent of police told The Daily Star that they had received a written order on Thursday from the government high ups for identifying and arresting persons engaged in ‘anti-state activities’, which was later verbally redefined as ‘anti-government activities’ by the same authorities.

Sirajul Islam, a deputy director of Proshika (field operation), was arrested yesterday morning from Savar while he was on the way to office from his home, said an official of the NGO.

A Proshika source said, they do not know why the crackdown was launched adding, “But we came to know from different arrestees that police are quizzing many of them about Proshika’s preparations to mobilise for the opposition’s PMO gherao programme on Tuesday and the grand rally in Dhaka on September 18.”

“Everyone was arrested without warrants. We just guess from the line of interrogation of the arrestees by police that the crackdown was launched suspecting that Proshika’s staff will join the opposition programmes in Dhaka,” said an official of the organisation, seeking anonymity.

Proshika sources said between Saturday midnight and yesterday evening at least 120 of their officials were arrested.

While filing this report yesterday evening Proshika sources gave a break down of 87 arrestees. Twenty nine of them were arrested from different places under Manikganj police station, one was arrested from Singair, three from Raipura, three from Faridganj, two from Bandarban, three from Brahmanbaria, two from Narayanganj Sadar, two from areas under Narayanganj Bandar police station, four from Bajitpur, three from Jessore, one from Bagharpara, seven from Pakundia, two from Nagarpur, four from Doulatpur, five from Hossainpur, two from Sripur, five from Bhairab, four from Comilla, one from Tongi, three from Nagarkanda and one from Savar.

“We have been collecting the numbers of arrestees from across the country,” said a Proshika official.

The chief of Proshika is now in Delhi for treatment. One of the deputy directors of the organisation, Abdur Rab told The Daily Star last night, “So far we know that more than a hundred of our officials have been arrested. We are not clear why police are arresting our staff. We are trying to know the reasons.”

“It would be wrong, if police arrested them in connection with the opposition’s political programmes. Because Proshika has no link with those,” said Rab.

The government launched a countrywide crackdown on Proshika once before in 2004 also. Law enforcers arrested many officials of the organisation on suspicion of their ‘anti-government activities’, especially linking them with the main opposition Awami League (AL) following AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil’s declaration that by April 30, 2004 the ruling four-party alliance government would be toppled.

At that time the government arrested many officials of Proshika including its chief Dr Qazi Faruque Ahmed and filed 20 cases against him including a sedition case.

Law enforcers at that time also raided several Proshika offices including its head office at Mirpur in the capital.

RAJSHAHI
Our staff correspondent from Rajshahi reported that 15 Proshika staff have been arrested there including nine from Debiganj in Panchagarh.

The arrestees include Associate Area Coordinators Mizanur Rahman and Anwar Hossain in Panchagarh, and Office Caretakers Solaiman in Bogra and Belal in Panchagarh.

Held development workers are — Moshiur Rahman, Anwar Hossain and Sirajul Islam in Natore, Moslem Uddin in Bagmara of Rajshahi, Ruhul Amin in Gomostapur of Chapainawabganj, Nitai, Lablu, Khalil, Biplob, Tapos, and Abdul Gaffar in Panchagarh.

Some of the Proshika offices that were raided are at Bagmara, Puthia and Godagari in Rajshahi, and at Natore, Bogra Sadar, and Debiganj in Panchagarh.

Police were seen yesterday keeping watchful eyes on Proshika offices in Rajshahi region. “We’re really panicked,” said Saiduzzaman Shipon, Proshika’s Rajshahi zone coordinator.

“Policemen were looking for us,” he said adding that none of the staff came to the offices yesterday.

Senior officials of Rajshahi range police however remained tight-lipped. But several superintendents of police (SP) seeking anonymity confirmed that the government had issued a directive against Proshika staff.

“There was a written order on Thursday for detecting and arresting persons engaged in anti-state activities”, said an SP adding that the government high ups later in another verbal order redefined the ‘anti-state’ activities as ‘anti-government’.

Another SP said, “I have direct orders for arresting Proshika staff for their alleged activities against the government”.

Corroborating them, three more northern SPs informed The Daily Star that the government is enraged by Proshika’s role in educating the rural population about their electoral rights and the value of their votes.

Besides, Proshika’s staff are linked with the recent AL announcement of a countrywide movement to topple the government, an SP said.

“The alliance government has kept Proshika on its toes by blocking funds from donors, arresting its workers, raiding its offices and threatening it with cancellation of registration since 2004,” said a senior official of the NGO.

SKL Muhammad Lalon, Rajshahi chapter chief of the Association of Development Agencies in Bangladesh (Adab) condemned the crackdown.

“It is a constitutional right to criticise a government’s anti-people actions. Arresting such people for anti-state activities is illegal and politically motivated,” he said.

JESSORE
Our Jessore correspondent reported that five officers of the NGO were arrested by Jessore police on Saturday night from different places of the town.

The arrested include Divisional Coordinator of Proshika Aftabur Rahman, and Officers Fakrul Hossain, Iqbal Hossain, Abdus Satter and Anwarul Islam.

Second Officer of Kotwali Police Station Sub Inspector Sanaul Haque said there was no case against them. Police arrested them on orders from the higher authorities, he added.

A case was lodged against them after the arrests, accusing them of hijacking and hooliganism. They were sent to a magistrate court which sent them to detention rejecting their bail prayers.

KISHOREGANJ
Our Kishoreganj correspondent reported that police arrested at least 25 Proshika employees from four upazilas in the district yesterday.

Six were arrested from the Bhoirab upazila area office of Proshika, five were arrested from the Hussainpur upazila office, seven were arrested from the Pakundia upazila office and three were arrested from the Kuliarchar upazila office.

Abdur Rashid, officer-in-charge of Hussainpur police station, said they arrested the Proshika staff for their involvement with politics and because they have plans to join a ‘conspiracy meeting’ in Dhaka on September 12.

A case was filed against the arrested Proshika staff, Abdur Rashid said.

The superintendent of police of the district however refused to comment on the arrests.

CHANDPUR
Our Chandpur correspondent reported that Faridganj police arrested six Proshika staff Saturday midnight from the organisation’s office at Faridganj Sadar. Police sources said they were arrested on charges of anti-government activities.

The arrested staff are — Divisional Coordinator Mahmudul Huq, Accountant Abdul Mannan, Computer Operator Rajiv Ghose, and Development Workers Ajit Chandra Sarker, Hemayet Hossain and Jalaluddin.

The arrestees were sent to jail after they had been produced before a court. Police said they could not arrest many more because the targets had gone home on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat.

NARAYANGANJ

Our Narayanganj correspondent reported that police arrested Mizanur Rahman and Ujjal Chandra Dey of Proshika yesterday night from Nabiganj area of Bandar upazila.

Golam Mostafa, officer-in-charge of Bandar police station said the Proshika men were arrested in connection with a case filed in Rupganj police station. The arrestees were produced before a magistrate court.

Meantime, DMP Commissioner SM Mizanur Rahman in the ban order said: “There have been apprehensions about disruption of security of the Prime Minister’s Office as some political parties have planned to march from different spots towards the PM office,”.

The restricted areas are: from Mohakhali crossing to Parjatan crossing via Shaheed Jahangir Gate and Public Service Commission (PSC) office, Bijoy Sarani to Urojahaj crossing, Agargaon crossing on Rokeya Sarani to Shishu Mela, Shisu Mela to Dhanmondi Road-27 (old) via Mirpur Road, including Mohammadia Super Market, Tallabagh to Square Hospital on Panthapath via Sukrabad.

Among the areas are also Square Hospital to Chalet Crossing to Free School Street and Bangla Motor crossing via Sundarban Hotel, Bangla Motor crossing to Moghbazar crossing and Moghbazar crossing to Tongi Diversion Road to Mohakhali crossing via Satrasta crossing and Nabisco crossing.

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